


Starlit Trees

by Forgan_writes



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half-Life, Half-Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Autistic Benrey (Half-Life), Benrey has trauma, Black Mesa (Half-Life), Black Mesa Sweet Voice, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Bruises, Coomer and Bubby are only mentioned, Crying, Domestic, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gore, He/Him and They/Them Pronouns for Benrey (Half-Life), He/Himrey, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, Joshua isn’t real in this, M/M, Minecraft, Minor Injuries, Self-Harm, Serious Injuries, Sick Character, Sickfic, Slow Burn, Stimming, There’s gonna be more chapters, They/Themrey, Theyre also trans, Trans Gordon Freeman, Vocal Stimming, Vomiting, benrey is an alien, benrey is sad, so does Gordon, tommy and Sunkist show up tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forgan_writes/pseuds/Forgan_writes
Summary: Two months after the Black Mesa incident, Benrey is dropped in the middle of a small New Mexico town.  Meanwhile Gordon struggles trying to get back to a normal life. He finds Benrey and takes them in. Soon the government finds out about Benrey, and they are forced on a road trip across the country.
Relationships: Benrey & Gordon Freeman, Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 17
Kudos: 183





	1. Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benrey fucking dies part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: panic attack, self harm (minor, just scratching), mentions of death, food, blood, fainting, implied/reference torture and surgery. 
> 
> Hello, I have brain rot enjoy my word vomit.

Death was nothing new for Benrey, just another obstacle in their life. Die, float around in the void for a bit, then respawn. Dying was never pleasant, they tried to avoid it the best they could. He especially didn’t like the time he got crushed by that door, Gordon reaching out a hesitant arm, concern slightly visible on his face, Bubby’s evil cackle after the line, 

“Rest in pieces!” 

Bubby was something Benrey had a hard time understanding. 

One moment ze was blasting multiple aliens in the face, laughing like some sort of Disney supervillain, the next moment he was cuddled up next to Dr. Coomer, passing cheesy pick-up lines and sappy complements between one another. _Ze was a riot_ , Benrey concluded, and they didn’t think much more of it. Dr. Coomer was barely human anymore; a cyborg with strange enhancements. 

Tommy _definitely_ wasn’t human either, being the son of G-Man has its _perks_ , one time when Sunkist went missing he melted into an angel-like abomination that even Benrey had trouble perceiving, colors he had never seen mashing together in some sort of eldritch soup. 

Benrey shook their head, trying not to think of that incident. 

He shook his hands, needing some sort of movement, Gordon called it “Stimming”. He was floating in the void again, weightless against nothing. As far as he knew, he was the only thing here. 

_Just him and his thoughts_.

Benrey didn’t like to be alone with their thoughts, their mind often wandering to what they tried so hard to forget, the icey tables, sharp blades digging into his skin like paper- they shook their hands, forcing the memories out of their head. He tugged his helmet, pulling his legs closer to his chest. Sweet Voice tumbled out of his mouth in shades of anxiety he didn’t want to look at. 

“Cringe-ass memories..” They mumbled to themself. 

Benrey huffed out a sigh, crossing his arms and looking around at the nothingness that he had grown all-too familiar with. The void was lonely, the only company was the Sweet Voice bubbling around, providing a soft glow. This emptiness was one of the main reasons they avoided dying, besides the uncertainty that they would actually come back.

Tears burned at his eyes. _He was falling._

Falling forever. Interrupted suddenly by a bright light.

_And_

  
  


_Then_

  
  


_It_

  
  


_Suddenly_

  
  


**_Stopped._ **

Like a clock taking it’s dying breath, one last click of the gears before it stands still forever. Like an asteroid hurtling through space, meeting its violent demise, crumbling in the atmosphere of some celestial body. 

Benrey had stopped falling, something that usually happened when he respawned, but he was sure this time he wouldn’t come back? His back hit something hard, knocking the air out of his lungs. It was hot, his skin nearly burning on contact. He was glad he still had his helmet, he was sure he would’ve smacked his head quite hard otherwise.

“Whadda fuck..” He gasped, opening his eyes, which then were greeted by a blinding light; a star. 

_This is Earth’s sun, isn’t it?_

He tried to hurl himself to his feet, scrambling as his shaking legs refused. The guard tumbled to the ground, cursing. He felt like a pot of noodles, or what Gordon described as “crumbling” after an adrenaline rush.

“Bro I got nerfed! Fucking fall damage!” They cried out, squinting at the harsh New Mexico sun, his ears ringing behind the quiet bustle of a city. _Why aren’t his powers working?_

_Where the fuck is he?_

Benrey cautiously tried standing on their legs again, this time using a brick wall to make sure they didn’t fall on their ass. Though wobbly, they were upright now, taking their surroundings in with a puzzled expression.

He was in an alley in some shitty city, old beer bottles and burger wrappers littering the sidewalks, the heat rolling in waves over the nearly empty roads. The smell of rotten food cooking in the sun made him want to vomit. 

“Wuh.” Benrey said, looking down both sides of the street, glaring at a car making its way down the pothole filled highway, swerving to avoid the hazards. 

“Yo where the FUCK am I.” He shouted to the vehicle, not really expecting them to stop. 

He sighed and started walking. To where, he didn’t know, he just wanted out of this asscrack of a town, out of the beating sun. 

* * *

  
It was two months after what the world had labeled “ _The Black Mesa Incident_ ”. Things were starting to return to normal, well as normal as they could. The government had tried to cover all of it up at first, but it was hard to hide an entire alien invasion. 

Gordon was trying his best to return to his normal life, the hush money from Black Mesa helping a bit. He didn’t have a job yet, most days were spent sleeping. He was still exhausted from wandering around in the HEV suit, thin scars and un-fading marks embedded into his skin where the metal jabbed into him. He had a prosthetic arm now, the strange gun attachment disappearing, as well as the HEV suit, as soon as he woke up a few yards outside of his apartment complex after Tommy’s birthday party. Gordon assumed Mr. Coolatta dropped him off there. 

This day was not unlike the approximate sixty others since he arrived home; laying in bed scrolling through Twitter. He was about to fall asleep again when his stomach reminded him that he needed food. The physicist sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his vision fading in and out of black at the sudden movement. 

_He really needed iron supplements._

Gordon slowly walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge only to find nothing but a few rotted vegetables. Apparently he had already eaten anything salvageable. 

He groaned loudly. “Fuuuuuck meeee.”

The absolute last thing he wanted to do was go grocery shopping, but unfortunately for him, the human body needs food to survive. He ran a hand over his face, trudging back to his room to put on some shorts and a t-shirt. It was far too hot in New Mexico to wear anything else. He brushed his hair quickly, snatching his keys and stomping downstairs to the parking lot. He only lived on the second floor, luckily. He did not feel like climbing too many stairs for at least another 14 years. He hoped they fixed the elevator soon. 

His flip-flops clicked against his heels as he walked to his car, swinging his keys around his finger. 

“Okayy, store time. Gordon needs food.” He mumbled to himself, unlocking the car door. 

Gordon climbed into the small Toyota, shoving the key into the ignition. The vehicle roared to life with a tremble, gears clicking into place as he pulled out of the car park. He turned on his blinker and started on the highway of his small New Mexico town. 

* * *

  
Benrey had been living next to a dumpster for the past month, having been seemingly dropped out of the sky into a shitty town. They were doing fine, they thought, occasionally getting leftovers from the nearby gas station. His “house” was a cardboard box, “Benrey’s epic gamer house” written crudely on the side. They spent most of their time playing with the alley rats, or playing on his Nintendo Switch (which was definitely not stolen). 

He was coated in a fine layer of dirt and sweat, having never taken off his clothes, minus the vest. Multiple cuts and bruises littered his body, the result of digging through dumpsters of broken glass behind the local bar. A particularly bad black eye altered his vision, the result of getting in a fight with another homeless person who, _quite rudely_ , stole his $5.34. 

Recently, though, Benrey hasn’t been feeling too hot.

Coming down with some sort of cringe sickness (He blamed the lack of Godmode), he was often found asleep, curled up in his box like a cat. His hair was matted into a gordian knot, caked with a thick layer of grease, but he didn’t care as he kept his helmet on 99% of the time. 

They often woke in cold sweats, face flushed a tomato red, though shivers still racked their body. Everything ached, walking to the gas station felt like a 10k run, whoever crossed his path adamantly staying 5 meters away from him. 

“Cringe gamer body got fail sickness, -69/420.” Benrey mumbled feverishly, dragging the back of his hand across his forehead. 

His fingers were cold as ice. They trembled slightly, eyes drooping as they counted the passing cars. No matter how hot it was during the day, it was always weirdly chilly at night time, just one of Earth’s quirks he dismissed. (Or maybe that was just New Mexico.) A cough tore through their body, which resulted in them wincing at the pain in their chest. 

“This sucks.” They concluded and pulled out their switch, shoving the _Animal Crossing: New Horizons_ card into the slot.

A soft blue illuminated Benrey’s face, the tip of his tongue sticking out as he played. An hour later, they sighed and checked the time. The display read 13:28. 

“Oh dip, it’s nap time.” They concluded, tucking the switch under their “pillow” (It was a bookbag).

He stared at a particularly large and gross-looking cockroach scurrying up the wall as he tried to sleep, but his stomach was adamant that he needed food. _Oh yeah_ , they forgot they had to eat now. 

Benrey tumbled out of his box, stumbling to his feet, almost colliding with the brick wall in front of him. Choosing to pull his hood over his hair instead of the helmet, waiting for the blackness to fade from his vision first, he started his journey to the corner store a couple blocks up the road. Walking with a noticeable limp, they pointed finger guns at every passerby, making a half-assed attempt to wink. 

They were almost there when their head started swimming, his vision slightly fading into white. Sweat rolled down his back and dripped off his chin. He huffed out a breath, trying to stay standing. _Why was this happening?_

“Uh fuck.” They whispered, heart pounding in their ears. 

He had to sit down, his knees basically turning themselves off. _Power off. XBox red ring of death._ He locked his knees, gripping onto his shirt as he tried, and failed, to breathe. His heart was pounding _way_ too fast, he was sure it would simply stop any minute. His hands were shaking quite violently as he wheezed and gasped, his head pounding. His vision was almost completely engulfed in white, hearing nothing but the roaring of blood flow in his ears. 

Benrey coughed, his body lurching forward painfully. They felt something run down their chin, wiping his hand, he pulled it back with a furrowed brow. A smear of blood stained his skin. 

“Thas’no good.” They slurred. 

His eyes drooped, blinking slowly as he tried to stay awake. Blood dripped off his chin, falling onto his shirt. Black Sweet Voice tumbled out of their mouth, falling to the sidewalk like a dense fog. 

Having had enough, his eyes rolled as his body fell limp on the sidewalk. Through the ringing in his ears, he heard the faint rumbling of a car, screeching to a halt. Footsteps, rushed ones, someone talking. 

“--d---Yo-----ok?” 

Benrey only heard bits and pieces. _They sounded worried_ , his drunken mind wondered why. A long pause, he could basically _hear_ the seconds ticking away. 

“Benrey?”

_Huh._

“Wuh..” the guard mumbled. They felt hands on their shoulders, mind reeling as to who this person could be. Slowly, their eyes fluttered open. They saw nothing much at first, the world blurry and bright. Benrey stared with squinted eyes, someone kneeling above them, curly brown locks falling from their messy ponytail, a worried expression plastered on their face. Freckles littered their dark skin, glasses sitting crooked on their face in front of sparkling green eyes. 

_Gordon?_

Benrey opened his mouth, only a small whine and some black and red Sweet Voice escaping him. His throat bobbed as he swallowed and tried again, his head feeling fuzzy.

“Gordon?” 

They managed to whisper before their body relaxed and everything cut to black.

* * *

Gordon tapped his steering wheel to the beat of the song playing quietly on the radio, slightly bobbing his head as he waited at a traffic light. An old song, he listened to it daily a few years ago. He hummed, the light turning green. He took his foot off the break and back onto the gas, gently cruising down the highway, minding the littered potholes along the asphalt. Gordon sighed and scratched at his beard, pushing his glasses back onto his face. 

The city he lived in was relatively small, most buildings covered with patches of unmatching paint and graffiti, trash littered the sidewalks. He didn’t mind it though, it was cheap and he lived near his friends. Harold and Bubby lived in a modest house on the outskirts of town, while Tommy, Sunkist, and his Dad lived in a two story house in the richer part of town. 

Gordon really needed to visit them.

He bobbed his head harder as the song picked up. 

“I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies.”

He mumbled, hardly any effort put into his singing. Only a few other cars passed him, most people refusing to leave their homes in fear of being abducted by aliens. His eyes drifted to the small blinking light on the dash, warning him of low fuel. It was fine though, there was a gas station up ahead. 

Gordon smacked his lips, trying to remember what the store was called, eyes scanning the sidewalk. He spotted something unexpected though, _a person?_ He squinted in confusion and slight worry, his heartbeat slightly picking up. They looked like absolute shit, _probably homeless_ , Gordon thought. They were limping quite severely, swaying as if it were windy as hell. 

He shrugged, a part of his mind saying to just leave them.

“No, fuck you.” He said aloud, shaking his head. He slowed down, trying to get a better look at the person. Said person, stopped, swayed a bit more violently, then toppled to the sidewalk.

‘Oh, shit!”

Gordon exclaimed, slamming his foot on the brake, tires screeching against the road in protest. He fumbled with his seatbelt, then jumped out of his car, hitting his head on the frame, memories of his first-aid classes rushing to the front of his mind. 

The figure on the ground was grabbing at their chest, shoulders heaving as they coughed. 

“Holy shit, dude! Oh my god, are you okay?” 

Gordon shouted, dropping to his knees at their side, despite his body’s protest, hands hovering over their shoulders. They mumbled something at the contact, but he didn’t hear. Something was oddly familiar about them, _does he know this guy?_ He put his hands on their shoulders, carefully rolling them onto their back. 

**_What._ **

“Benrey?”

Gordon sputtered, dumbfounded by the face he saw. There was no doubt, the same pale skin (Though somehow _paler_ now), unusually sharp teeth and bright yellow eyes. Those vibrant eyes stared unfocused at the sky. They slowly trailed over to look at him, eyelids fluttering. Conflicting emotions flooded his mind, the most prominent were anger and confusion, with a dollop of worry. 

Benrey tried to speak, though he only let out a low whine. Red and black Sweet Voice dripped out of his mouth alongside the blood that trailed the corners of his mouth and stained his dirt-covered shirt. He tried again in a low, weak voice.

“Gordon?”

The scientist sat still, his head racing with way too many thoughts. _How the hell was Benrey alive? Are they homeless? Why did they collapse? Why were they bleeding?_ He squeezed his eyes and shook his head. _Focus, Gordon._

The smaller figure below him gasped, chest heaving as his eyes fell shut, then he relaxed, face falling slack. They looked almost peaceful right now, minus the cuts and bruises covering their face and arms. 

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_.

Gordon put a hand on Benrey’s cheek, taken back on how hot his skin was, his skin sticky from sweat and dirt. 

“B-Benrey?” He stammered, heart pounding. He trailed his hand to the guard’s neck. _Does Benrey even have a pulse?_ He held his breath and focused, almost deflating with relief once he felt a faint drum under his fingers. 

“Okay. Okay. Got a pulse.” 

Gordon breathed, running his fingers through his messy hair. He huffed, trying to remember basic first aid, _he’s got a pulse, that’s good. What now? Wait, you gotta check their lungs to make sure there wasn’t fluid, okay._ He rested his ear on Benrey’s chest, hardly breathing as he strained to listen. They were breathing, shallow breaths, but still breathing. They weren’t in the clear, though, Gordon also hearing the rattling of something in his lungs. 

“Fuck. God- shit.” 

He cursed, pushing his glasses back on his face. Cool, Benrey is alive. They’re also dying for some reason. 

He weighed his options: He could drop them off at Tommy’s, but he was pretty sure Mr. Coolatta wasn’t.. very _fond_ of the alien. Harold and Bubby’s place was a _definite_ no. Gordon could take him in, but Benrey did try to kill them and that wasn’t very nice. _So not poggers._ God, he just needed a break. He didn’t want to just leave Benrey dying on the sidewalk, but he didn’t exactly want them at his apartment. 

Gordon scratched his chin. “Why me?” 

He sighed, making his decision, Benrey could stay, but only until they healed. He scooped the alien in his arms bridal-style, careful not to jostle any possible major wounds. He walked with moderate difficulty to his car and struggled with the back door, finally latching his pinky under the handle. He opened it the rest of the way with his foot, leaning in uncomfortably to lay Benrey across the back seat. Now that he was sure Benrey wouldn’t roll onto the floor, he shuffled his way around to the driver’s seat. 

The ride back to his apartment was more stressful than it needed to be, Gordon constantly glancing at the rearview mirror to check on the unmoving alien in the back seat of his car. _How the hell did he get into this. **Lemme off this ride, please.**_

He pulled into the closest spot to the stairs of the complex and dragged Benrey out of the back seat. He looked back and forth, between the body in his arms and the stairs ahead, looming like it was a portal directly to hell. 

“Great. Fucking- Mhm.” He huffed, readjusting and moving forward. Once he was at the top, he was huffing heavily, Benrey was small, but they were _heavy_. He stood there for a minute, catching his breath, then walking to his apartment. He stood in front of the door, thinking for a second before setting Benrey down against the wall. Gordon pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, swinging open and gently bumping against the doorstop. 

He picked them back up and deposited them gently on the couch, making his way to the bathroom to find the first-aid kit. 

Gordon returned to the couch, opening the kit and laying out a few select items: some gauze, band-aids, and hydrogen peroxide. He moved in front of Benrey, trying to pull off their hoodie. Their arms felt boneless and yeah, it was awkward, but he wasn’t going to let anyone bleed out in his apartment. 

He scrunched his nose at the smell of the clothing, opting to burn it and just buy new clothes- no he wasn’t going to do that. He pulled off their hoodie, pleased that the shirt came off with it as well. 

He tossed it to the side, looking at the many scars that littered Benrey’s skin. A particularly nasty “y” shaped scar stretched over his chest and down to his navel. 

Gordon furrowed his brow, staring at the many claw-like and horizontal scars that spanned over their arms. 

“Been there, done that.” He said, instead focusing on the shallow rise and fall of the alien’s chest. More superficial bruises and cuts dotted his chest and abdomen, and the physicist worked on cleaning them with a H2O2 soaked cotton pad. Throwing the now bloody pad on the floor next to him, Gordon started applying band-aids and gauze pads to the wounds that started bleeding again. There was a nasty bruise on their midsection, angry shades of yellow and purple discoloring their skin. 

Satisfied with his work, Gordon moved to his pants, face flushing a deep red as his hands hovered over Benrey’s belt. _He hoped to whatever God out there that they wore underwear._ Shaking his head, repeating “This is _not_ weird, shut up.” to himself as he worked their pants off. 

He was, however, _absolutely delighted_ to find that the alien had a tail. They kept it tucked into a leg of their jeans for whatever reason, he wondered why. 

More self harm scars streaked his thighs, bruises spotting his shins. Their feet, _paws? Claws?_ Whatever they are, were mutilated as a result of walking everywhere without shoes, dry blood and dirt coating them. Deeper lacerations were showing the beginning stages of infection. 

Gordon stood up, his knees popping, to fetch a wet washcloth. He slumped back to the floor, working on cleaning Benrey’s paws. 

Finished with the cloth, he dabbed at the individual woulds with H2O2 and a layer of neosporin, then wrapped them with a roll of gauze. 

“Okay.” He clapped his hands.

Contempt with his first aid, Gordon put an old oversized shirt of his own on Benrey. Placing a cup of water on the coffee table, he called it a night and headed to his bedroom.

* * *

It wasn’t often Benrey slept back in Black Mesa, the threat of something sneaking up kept him awake. Not sleeping was one of the leading causes of his grotesque appearance, skin constantly pale and eyes dark with bags. Those sleepless nights were often spent a few meters away from the rest of the group, staring at the stars, watching them slowly pan across the sky, counting the clusters that caught his mind and trying to find the constellations. 

The last couple of months, however, were spent mostly unconscious, they hardly remembered the times they were awake. It was all a big blur, but they remember the gas station, his shitty box, the rats that would have conversations in the night, the white noise of the small city. 

Occasionally, a person would walk by them, whispering. 

Benrey would’ve been fine without waking up, last night was nothing but a faint blur in his head. They remember walking to, at least tying to, to the convenience store and fainting, someone’s arms carrying him-

**_Gordon?_ **

Their eyes fluttered open, sucking in a breath as the pain in his chest hit them full-force. His mouth was dry, head throbbing as they tried to figure out what was going on. Benrey groaned, eyelids heavy as they scanned their surroundings. 

They had no fucking clue where they were, only that they were in an apartment of sorts. 

_Oh, wait, Gordon. Is this his place?_

He dug his elbows beneath him, struggling to sit up. Benrey looked over themself, finding that they were covered in bandages. He rubbed a hand over one, feeling the sting of a wound underneath. Others had blood seeping through, especially the ones wrapping his paws. His abdomen and ribs were sore, arms wrapping around himself. 

Heat radiated off his skin, sweat rolling off his forehead, the shirt he was wearing sticking to him. He felt sticky and achy, worse than he did back in the alley. 

_Wait, this wasn’t his shirt?_

Suddenly, they realized they were wearing only boxers and an unfamiliar t-shirt. They dragged the blanket pooled on the couch onto their shoulders. _Where was their helmet?_ Their joints ached and they honestly wanted to go back to sleep, but the idea of sleeping in an unfamiliar place unsettled him. _How did he even get here?_

Benrey looked through the blinds to get a sense of what time it was, the first rays of sunrise breaking through clouds. He looked over at the oven. 

**6:07 AM**

They squinted their eyes, hunching over as a particularly bad wave of pain blossomed in their chest. 

“Fuuuck.” They groaned, tears stinging his eyes. A cough racked his body, a stabbing in his lungs. He coughed again, tears rolling down his face as he broke out into a fit. 

“Gor-” He tried, choking on his words. His throat burned.

Blood stained the crease in his arm, rolling down his chin. Their lungs burned as their shoulders heaved, desperately trying to breathe. He gasped, chest rattling as he sucked in desperate breaths. Tears and blood dripped onto his legs and the floor, his body threatening to topple off the couch. 

Benrey wheezed and gagged, the fit finally calming down. Instead, nausea creeped up his spine. _One thing after another._ He tried to stand up, forgetting about the condition of his paws, immediately crumpling to the floop with a small yelp. He curled into the fetal position, his body shaking, hands grabbing at his head, strands of hair intertwined with his fingers. Shades of white and yellow escaped his maw, floating lazily to the ceiling. _Why was he breaking down?_

From somewhere behind him, he heard the click of a door unlocking and the turn of the knob, but they barely registered it. Footsteps hurriedly approached him, a thud as someone dropped on the floor next to him. They shrunk further into themself, claws racking at their scalp. Warm hands grabbed their wrists, pulling them away. 

Benrey whimpered, trying to fight for their hands back, but whoever holding them back was stronger. 

“Benrey- Benrey, stop.” A familiar voice pleaded. Those sparkling green eyes looked at them with genuine worry, an expression they had never seen directed at them.

The alien went slack, letting Gordon pull them into a hug. A strangled cry escaped them, tears flowing freely as they let themself break down. They practically melted into his touch, the past two months finally catching up with them. Their lungs burned as their chest jumped with sobs, pausing only to breathe. They hiccuped as they hyperventilated, desperately trying not to pass out. 

“It’s okay.” The scientist mumbled, rubbing comforting circles on their back. They sputtered and choked, letting his mind cloud over with this moment. Benrey gripped at Gordon’s shirt with trembling fingers, trying to ground himself the best he could. Their mind was racing, colors spilling out of him, lighting up the ceiling. They buried their head in the warmth holding them, muffled wailing and quiet comforts filling the room.

_They hadn’t cried this hard since they first came to Earth, locked in those endless cold rooms-_ another sob racked his shoulders. They could faintly hear sniffing from the other, though it didn’t cross their mind at the time. 

The only time they had seen anyone else break down was in Black Mesa, when Gordon collapsed in the corner after a particularly large fight with the zombies. Benrey didn’t know what to do, just looked around awkwardly as Coomer and Tommy comforted him. They felt themselves slipping back into their thoughts, a stifled sob escaping them as they tried to hold on tighter to Gordon. 

“No- it’s okay I got you.” Benrey could almost pass out at those words, his touch-starved side screaming in sheer _glee_. They inhaled sharply, relaxing slightly in the other man’s arms. Tears stained both their shirts as the sun poked through the blinds, lighting up Gordon’s hair in a way that reminded them of a halo.

_He’s so pretty._ He felt his face warm up, shivering as he buried himself back into the physicist. He let his mind be taken over by this moment, focusing on the fact he was being held by Gordon Freeman. 

Even once Benrey eventually stopped sobbing, Gordon did not let go. (Not that they minded.) He kept them in his arms even as they went slack, slow breathing and sniffs the only sound filling the apartment. 

“Uh, you good now?” Gordon asked, relaxing his grip slightly. 

“Mh” They replied, breaking the embrace and looking up at the physicist with bloodshot eyes. Their face was red and puffy, tear streaks staining their cheeks. They curled the blanket around themself, still trembling. 

Gordon eyed the smear of blood on their chin, standing up and offering a hand to Benrey.   
  


“Uh, m can’t walk.” They mumbled, curling their tail around their legs.

“Ah shit, okay. Here-” Gordon picked them up with almost no effort, carrying them into the bathroom. 

He set them down on the toilet, running a rag under warm water. 

He handed Benrey the cloth, letting them wipe their face off. They looked at him with tired eyes and Gordon could almost hear his heart shatter. 

_They are responsible for your arm_.

He reminded himself, shaking his head. 

“You, uh, wanna sleep?” 

He asked, tossing the washcloth carelessly in the sink.

They nodded, hugging their knees. The way their tail curled around their feet reminded him of a cat. He picked up the alien, carrying them to his bedroom.

“Uh, gonna sleep in Gordos bed. Gonna- gonna sleep with your best bro?” Benrey mumbled tiredly, at least their annyong shenanigans were still around.

Gordon huffed, “No, s’just comfier here. Thought you’d like that.”

They nodded into his chest. “Thank.” 

He laid them on the bed, offering them more blankets. They piled every pillow they could find around themself, curling into a ball. 

“You need anything else?” He asked, turning around in the doorframe.

“M good.” They mumbled. 

“Cool. Uh, just holler if you need something.” Gordon said, cracking the door behind him. 

“Nice.” Benrey whispered to himself, sinking deeper into his nest. 

They slowly drifted off, only thinking about the fact that Gordon had hugged them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gordon care moments
> 
> Sweet voice translations!!  
> Pure black= agony  
> Black to red= I’m so dead  
> Red=dread  
> Pure white= fright  
> Yellow=pain
> 
> Tumblr: norge-yourstruely  
> Insta: forgeninfoe  
> Twitter: ForganForge


	2. Roomates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benrey gets them some Mac n cheese

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Vomiting, mentions of death, blood, food/eating. 
> 
> Benrey fucking dies part 2

Benrey was something else, Gordon decided. A couple months ago, they had been the “Final Boss” to his adventure in Black Mesa, annoying the shit out of him every step of the way. The way they would just linger around ominously, making stupid remarks on everything they could. After that nightmare, they just showed up, like they always do. He was a fool for ever believing they wouldn’t come back. 

Benrey’s mysteries only grew from then on, collapsing on the sidewalk on the main highway of his town, then promptly having a breakdown in his living room not even 5 hours later. To be honest, Gordon had no fucking clue what to do when he stumbled out of his bedroom to find his former enemy curled in a ball on the floor, sobbing vehemently. Whether he liked it or not, he had to admit that he did cry a little too. The memories of all the times he had an attack rose to his thoughts, but he was adamant on pushing them back down, whispering praise and comfort to the trembling figure in his arms. Benrey as smaller than he remembered as well, a stupid thought that rose in the moment. 

He lied on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He hardly got any sleep the previous night, too occupied with his blabbering mind. (Also the couch was quite uncomfortable.) He looked over to the clock on the oven, deciding he should get an early start and start trying to live a normal life again. Besides, he needed to make sure Benrey hasn’t trashed his room yet. 

Gordon ran a brush through his messy hair, sighing as he made his way into the kitchen to find something to eat. He was exhausted, not being used to waking up so early. He eventually settled on microwave waffles, reminding himself that he needed to go to the store. He popped the frozen food into the microwave, walking quietly to his room to check on Benrey. The former guard was curled up in their pile, softly breathing as they slept. Their mouth was parted slightly, Gordon hoped that they weren’t drooling. 

Relieved that his new roommate wasn’t awake to cause problems, he gently closed the door and returned to the kitchen, popping open the microwave door and starting a cup of coffee. He wondered idly if Benrey liked coffee, or if they even ate food: he only saw them drink soda back in Black Mesa. Well, they obviously liked caffeine. 

Gordon ate his shitty waffles and drank his coffee, putting the dishes in the sink. He padded to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower. He hadn’t taken a shower in about a week, and the warmth on his skin felt nice. 

He sighed, stepping out of the shower and putting his long hair up in a towel.

The physicist was putting on a fresh pair of boxers when he heard a crash from the kitchen. 

Quickly throwing on a shirt, he ran into the hall, skidding to a halt in the entrance of the room, yelling.

“Dude, WHAT _THE_ **_FUCK_**.” 

Benrey was perched on the counter like a cat, completely naked and shotgunning a soda. 

“Wuh.” They said nonchalantly. There was a smashed glass on the floor, presumably the crash he heard from the bathroom. They finished the soda and tossed it on the floor with a clank, reaching for another but Gordon stopped them. 

“Bro where the FUCK are your clothes, y-you can’t just walk around butt-ass naked!” He stammered, face practically glowing red. 

“Uh” They clicked their tongue. “Hot.” 

Gordon stared, bewildered. He knew Benrey wasn’t human but  _ really?!  _ Surely they knew they couldn’t just waltz around his fucking apartment with  _ everything  _ showing? 

“Like whatcha see?” They grinned, making the scientist’s face grow somehow even more red.

“S-shut the hell up and put some fucking clothes on.” Gordon ordered, walking back to the bathroom to get his shorts.

“Boo. You’re no fun. Gordon Boringman.” He heard Benrey complain, walking into the bedroom. 

Gordon rubbed his hands on his face, groaning in frustration. The last thing he needed right now was to deal with Benrey, but the way they swayed on their feet and occasionally tensed in pain told him they weren’t out of the woods just yet.

He heard painful coughing and the signature song of the Sweet Voice in the other room, contemplating if he should intervene or not. More hacking and wheezing.

“Uh, you okay in there?” Gordon asked, knocking gently on the door.

“Fucking- ‘M fine-” They cut themself off with more couging. 

Gordon opened the door, greeted by a palette of yellow, red, and black Sweet Voice, (with bits of pink, though hardly noticeable) coming from the half-naked figure curled in the corner. He sat next to their trembling form, offering them a blanket. They wrapped it around their quivering shoulders, eyes shut tight. 

“How long has this, uh, cough been going on?” Gordon asked in a low voice.

“Um, tsk. I dunno, when I got here?” Their eyes widened. “Yo I’m allergic to your, uh , your apartment.”

“Ok- I highly doubt that.” Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay. Uh, what’s with the bleeding?”

Benrey wiped his lip and stared at his hand,thick crimson dripping down his palm. 

“Wuh? I dunno.” He wiped his hand on the blanket.

“Don’t do that.” Gordon grabbed their hand and went to fetch a tissue from his bedside table. He handed it to Benrey, who stared at it blankly, then wiped his chin. Pale yellow orbs trailed out of his mouth.

“What’s yellow mean?” 

“Wuh? Mm, pain. Ouchy hurt.” They mumbled, scratching at their arm. The physicist grabbed their wrist.

“Don’t fuckin- don’t do that.” 

Benrey looked at him, instead fidgeting with their fingers. They coughed once, face scrunching up in pain. They groaned, leaning forward, a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead. They swallowed, trying desperately not to lose it in front of Gordon, who was staring at them with concern knitted on his face. More yellow mixed with white fell from their mouth, burning the back of their throat. 

“You good?” Gordon asked.

Benrey didn’t respond, gripping onto the blanket draped around his shoulders for dear life. They did not like this at all,  _ thank you very much.  _ They felt a hand rest on their forehead, remaining for a second before pulling back.

“Damn, you’re burning up.” Gordon commented, pushing his glasses back on his face.

“M cold.” They mumbled back, pulling on the blanket. 

“You said you were hot just a minute ago- can you even get a fever?” 

“The fuck’s a  _ fever _ ?” 

Benrey heard Gordon sigh softly, holding his head in his hands. Sweat rolled down their back, despite shivers rattling their shoulders every few minutes. They felt sticky and cold, head still pounding as pain remained stubbornly in their chest. 

“Well, it sure as hell looks like you got one.” Gordon mumbled, sniffing. 

Benrey simply nodded, too overrun with sudden nausea to say much. Their heart rate sped up. Hues of teal and lilac dripped from their lip. They felt their spine run cold, saliva pooling in their mouth as they jerked up and looked at Gordon with a mortified expression. 

“Wha-” 

He was interrupted by Benrey, suddenly slapping a hand over their mouth, their face pale. Ignoring the pain, they jumped to their feet, almost tripping as they made a desperate dash to the bathroom. They dropped heavily onto their knees in front of the toilet bowl, arms shaking as they gripped onto the porcellin. They could hear Gordon’s footsteps enter the bathroom, sighing as he spotted the miserable humanoid hunched over his toilet.

Benrey felt hands on their back as they violently gagged, their back hunching and shoulders jumping forward, sweat gathering at their hairline. The hands rubbed comforting circles on his back as they heaved again, eyes shut tight as liquid dripped from their chin. Their heart was racing, chest heaving as they struggled for air. 

Their throat burned from the bile, cheeks burning red and coated with sweat. He was handed a wet rag, slumping against the bathtub when he was done. Benrey wiped their face, grimacing at the foul taste in their mouth. He swallowed audibly.

‘Um.” Their voice cracked horribly. “Water? Please?”

Gordon spoke softly. “Yeah, sure.” He was just glad they didn’t puke all over his floors.

Benrey was pale and sweaty, teeth chattering slightly as they hugged their legs: they looked absolutely miserable. He wiped his face, swallowing as he tried to quell the lingering nausea. Gordon returned with a cup of water, wincing at the pathetic sight on the floor. The alien took the water, warily sipping at it. They shivered, wrapping their arms around themself.

“Cold?” The scientist asked. They nodded slowly.

“Er, wanna come to the couch?” 

“Ye-” They breathed. “Yes.”

Gordon helped them up, slowly walking them down the hall with an awkward side hug. Their body trembled, skin hot and balmy to the touch. He deposited them on the couch, walking into the kitchen to fetch a bucket from under the sink, just in case. He also walked to his bedroom to grab the shirt that Benrey had seemingly forgotten about. He returned, finding Benrey already curled into a ball with every blanket they could reach piled on them. 

He sat the bucket down on the rug and handed them the tee, sinking into the opposite end of the couch. 

“This su-cks.” They groaned, putting on the shirt. Gordon held back a laugh.

“Yeah, didn’t know you could get sick, like, thought your uh, powers prevented that.”

Blue to brown floated to the ceiling, the source turned away from him, mumbling. 

“Huh?” He raised a brow. 

“Got nerfed.” They said. Gordon stared at them, puzzled.

“Got- I have no- m. No more.” Benrey sank further into the couch.

“What? Wait, you don’t have any powers?” He leaned towards the alien.

They hummed in the affirmative, burying their face. 

“Well- uh- m. I don’t- I dunno what to say? Never really had.. Godmode.” Gordon stammered, shifting nervously. Benrey stayed silent, sniffing quietly. 

“Wait, you have your, uh, Sweet Voice? Isn’t that an ability?”

“S’not like the others, Tommy made- made that one.” 

Gordon stilled.  _ Tommy made the Sweet Voice?  _ Well, he made Sunkist and she has it? He thought that was a thing  _ Benrey  _ had given to Tommy, not vice versa. 

“Huh.” He leaned his elbows on his knees. “You’re really fuckin’ weird, you know that?” 

Benrey huffed a laugh, lime and a bit of pink dripping from his mouth. They turned back towards Gordon, wiping their face.

“Dude, were you crying?” His smile dropped. 

Their face dropped, breathing out a sigh. 

Their voice cracked. “Um- yeah. Kinda.. Kinda bummed about, like, dying.” Fresh tears slid down their cheeks.

Gordon paused. He didn’t realize Benrey could  _ actually die  _ now, he was used to them just popping back into existence seemingly without a care in the world. 

“Do you, like, need a hug, man?” 

“I-” They nodded, looking down. “Tha’d be cool.” 

Gordon pulled them into his arms, feeling them practically deflate against their body, breathing into his chest. Thinking about mortality  _ sucked _ , and he knew that all too well. Those sleepless nights, staring at the ceiling fan thinking about everyone he loved was gonna die, including him. It sucked, and Benrey didn’t need to go through that. Not right now. 

They shuddered in his grip, tangling their fingers in his shirt.

“M sorry.” They mumbled, pulling away slightly.

“Bout what?” Gordon knew damn well they should be sorry about  _ a lot,  _ but he wasn’t about to bash them about it. Not now, at least. 

“Umm, the uh, y’know.” They mumbled, tapping on Gordon’s prosthetic. “Wasn’t supposed to happen.”

He sighed, patting Benrey’s shoulder. “I can’t completely forgive you, but I’ll try my best. At least you apologized, but human arms don’t just grow back.”

Benrey stiffened, adamant on keeping his eyes fixated down. 

“Hey, look at me. I’m not mad at you, it’s just… hard. To forgive you.”

The alien looked up at him, eyes glistening with unshed tears. Gordon pulled them back into a hug, patting their back. They exhaled the breath they were holding, shoulders relaxing. 

“Thank.” They mumbled, closing their eyes. Gordon pulled back. 

“Wanna play minecraft?” He grinned at the way Benrey’s eyes lit up, a lopsided smile inching across their face. Their posture straightened almost immediately. 

“Do- do I wanna play  _ Minecraft?  _ Who do you think I am,  _ Feetman _ ?” 

Gordon barked a laugh, getting off the couch and stretching. “Why’d I even ask?”

He plugged the dusty PS4 into the HDMI port of his T.V., sitting back down with a tray of all his remotes. 

Benrey grabbed one of the controllers, announcing enthusiastically that he was Player 1. Gordon turned on the flatscreen, grabbing the second controller. The T.V. lit up, the Playstation home screen fading in like he had seen many times before. Minecraft booted up and Gordon selected “Create new world”.

Minecraft was fun, one of Benrey’s favorite games. They remember the times in Black Mesa when they’d play it with their bunkmates, Josh and Jefferem. They remember trying to get Tommy to play it, but he had no clue how electronics worked. He always said “Ben, I have- have more important things to, um, do.” 

He was a scientist, and even though they didn’t really understand at the time, Tommy was doing important work. Just because Tommy sometimes acted childish didn’t mean he was helpless and young. Tommy is one of the smartest people they knew.

  
_ “Dude!”  _ Gordon said, exasperated. Benrey was leading every creeper they could find toward him, a shit-eating grin on his face. 

Another explosion. “Hey!” Gordon nudged them with his elbow. Benrey was cackling.

“What you can- can’t fight off a little creeper, huh? Pretty cringe of you. Gordon Failman.” 

Gordon wheezed, hunching over as he tried to run from  _ another  _ creeper. “Bruh, where the fuck are you even getting all these creepers?!” 

“Lord of explody green fucks. Bow down.” They snickered. “Got liters of creeper.” 

Gordon absolutely  _ lost it.  _ “ _ LITERS?”  _

Benrey’s dam finally broke, their laughter filling the room: an actual laugh, not the evil cackle he sometimes pulled. It was nice, hanging out with Gordon again. They really missed the days when they were kids, going to the arcade every saturday, doing stupid shit in the woods, it sucked he didn’t remember them. Guess that was another stupid human quirk. 

They heard an explosion, their half of the screen tinted red. “Awe, fuck!” They chuckled.

“Revenge!” Gordon announced triumphantly. 

“Booooooo.” Benrey jeered playfully, respawning. “Meanie.”

They looked at the physicist, who’s hair was spiking out in all directions, draped over his shoulders messily. He was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and some shorts, green eyes focused on the game. His glasses were slowly sliding down his face, but he didn’t seem to notice. Freckles dotted his light chocolate skin, his goatee messy and untrimmed. A light blush rose to Benrey’s cheeks.  _ He was gorgeous.  _

Pink to blue tumbled out of his mouth before he could realize, face burning more red. They shut their mouth forcing the Sweet Voice to  _ stay inside, please and thank you. _

“What’s that one mean?” Gordon asked, staring at the shimmering colors. 

“Wuh? Oh it means, uh, means your gay.”

He snorted. “Close enough.” 

Benrey blinked at him. “Huh?”

Their face basically  _ ignited  _ with realization. They quickly turned back to the screen, chewing on the inside of their cheek. Gordon’s smile faded with the awkward silence.  _ Good job, fuckass. The moment’s been ruined. _

The silence was suddenly cut by Benrey’s stomach loudly announcing that they needed food. “Shut the  _ fuck-”  _

Gordon laughed, pausing the game. “You’re hungry, dude.” He said, standing up with a stretch and walking into the kitchen. “You like waffles?”

Benrey pondered for a moment. “Like Eggo?” 

“Yeah I got Eggo.” Gordon waved a yellow box in the air. “When’s, uh, the last time you ate?”

Benrey smacked their lips. “Uhhh, like four-ish days ago?”

Gordon stilled, his face dropping. “ _ Four?  _ Dude where the fuck have you even been staying?” 

Their eyes lit up. “Oh! I got this dope ass place, the uhhh, box. Box in an alley, got a-a bed and everything. You should come over-”

“Wait, wait, wait. You live in a  _ box?”  _ Gordon asked, perturbed. 

“Uh, yeah. Don’t diss my house, man.” 

“That’s-” He breathed. “That’s not a  _ house,  _ Benrey. You’re fucking  _ homeless _ , how long have you even been there?

“Like a month.” 

“Fucking- listen dude. You’re staying here until you can get a place,  _ not a box,  _ or whatever.” Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose. Benrey did not respond. Since when was his Epic Box not a suitable residence? 

Gordon put about 5 waffles on a plate and popped them in the microwave. After the beeping eventually sounded, he grabbed the plate and set it on the table with a bottle of syrup. Benrey shuffled up to the table, sitting down and immediately pouring  _ way too much fucking  _ syrup on the waffles. 

_ Gordon knew he shouldn’t have trusted them with the syrup.  _

After they were satisfied with their  _ plate of syrup with a little bit of waffle,  _ they started shoving as much as they could into their mouth. 

“No, dude, slow down you’re gonna puke again.” 

Benrey slowed, chewing as they locked eyes with Gordon. Syrup slowly dribbled down their chin. 

“These are fucking epic.” They remarked with a mouth full of food.

Gordon shook his head. “Don’t talk while you’re eating.”

“Okay.” They stood up, the chair nearly falling over. “M’done.” 

Gordon grabbed their plate and added it to the ever-growing pile in the sink, sitting down beside Benrey, who had already hunkered down on the sofa. They were bundled up in their blanket, tucking their knees against their chest. 

“Uh, you up for more Minecraft?” 

They shook their head. 

“Feel sick?” He started reaching for the bucket on the floor. 

They sighed, rubbing their eyes. “M’just tired.”

“Heh, yeah I get it.” Gordon chuckled, scratching mindlessly at his beard. “Eating usually makes me tired, too.”

Benrey coughed, scrunching his nose, breathing carefully. “Owww.” He groaned. 

“Wanna watch T.V. or something?” Gordon asked. 

“Nah, ‘S stupid.” They mumbled, eyes drooping. “Nothin’ but dumb shit on there.”

“Cool. Yeah. You, uh, want me to stay?” 

Benrey paused, staring off into nothing, then nodded. “Mhm.” 

They relaxed as Gordon inched ever-so-slightly closer, sinking into the couch as their eyes struggled to stay open. Gordon was pretty tired himself, having gotten hardly any sleep the previous night. Benrey’s breathing slowed and eventually evened out, their face relaxing. They looked quite peaceful when they slept, the physicist was so used to seeing a monotone, serious expression. 

_ It was strange,  _ He thought tiredly. 

Gordon felt his eyelids grow heavy, struggling to focus on his phone screen. His phone slowly fell out of his hand as he drifted off to sleep.   


* * *

  
Gordon woke with a face full of dark, greasy hair, his eyes slowly blinking open as his tired mind tried to figure out what the fuck his face was buried in. He remembers falling asleep on the couch, next to someone- 

_ Oh yeah, Benrey.  _

He pulled away slightly, fixing his crooked glasses. His back and neck ached as a result of sleeping in such a weird position.  _ Maybe he shouldn’t sleep on the couch, or with his glasses on.  _

Benrey had somehow slotted themself in Gordon’s arms, curled up against his chest. They were snoring softly, chest rising and falling slowly against his own.  _ Cute. Wait no, shut up please. No thank you.  _ He shook his head, purging those thoughts from his mind. Now that they were closer, Gordon could see a light smattering of freckles on their face. Their hair was a mess, spiking in varying directions. (They really needed to wash it.)

He looked over to the oven, which displayed the time 20:37. He decided that he should get up to make dinner, but he’d have to move the sleeping alien in his arms. He shook their arm lightly, whispering softly.

“Hey, dude. Wake up.” 

They mumbled incoherently, trying to nuzzle closer to his chest. 

“C’mon, I gotta make dinner.” Gordon raised his voice slightly.

They opened their eyes, tiredly looking around. “M up.”

“Uh, can you get off me?” 

“Wuh? Oh.” Benrey shuffled off of him, instead curling up on the couch. 

Gordon got up, stretching out his back and limbs. He rubbed his eyes and padded into the kitchen. He stood in front of the pantry, trying to decide what he should make. He settled on simple mac and cheese, grabbing two boxes. He pulled a pot out from the cabinet, filling it with water. 

“Whadda you doing?” Benrey peeked over the arm of the couch, staring at him with cat-like eyes. 

“Making dinner.” Gordon put the pot on the front-right burner. 

“Whatchya making?” They shifted onto their knees. 

“Mac and cheese, you’ve had it before?” He turned the burner to medium-high.

“Uh, I don’t think so?” Benrey replied. “Mostly had chips and that weird mush they gave us.”

“Man, you’re missing out! Mac ‘n cheese is the shit.” Gordon leaned against the counter, waiting for the water to boil. 

They yawned, briefly showing slightly sharp teeth. 

“You want coffee or something? I don’t have any soda, but we’re going to the store tomorrow.” Gordon glanced at the water, which was at a simmer now. 

“You mean the, uh, fuckin’ bean water? Why not, gotta get that... Gamer Juice.” 

Gordon snorted, ripping open the boxes of macaroni. He poured the pasta into the now boiling water, walking away to start the coffee machine. Once the coffee started brewing, he returned to the pot. 

Benrey watched curiously, tangled up in his blanket, his tail curled neatly around his feet. The coffee machine beeped loudly and they jumped, glaring at it. 

“Coffee’s done, ‘s over here.” Gordon said, pointing at the mug as he stirred the mac and cheese. 

Benrey stood up, shuffling over to the direction Gordon was pointing to. “Epic.” They remarked.

They grabbed the mug, staring at the black bitterness in his hands. 

“Carefull, it’s hot.” Gordon warned, looking over at the alien. “Do you want, like, cream or something?” 

“Cream?” They mumbled, placing the mug back on the counter. 

“Or sugar, to make it sweeter.” He walked over to the sink, putting a strainer in the empty side of it. He grabbed the pot and poured the noodles in the strainer. 

Benrey stared at the steam that rose, eyes following as it drifted up to the ceiling and disappeared. 

“Oh, uh, sure.” They replied.

“Just a minute.” Gordon said, pouring the macaroni back into the pot. He added the cheese and some milk, stirring. He paused and grabbed some creamer and two sugar cubes, putting them in the coffee. 

“It’s still hot, but tell me if you want more sugar.”

Benrey dipped their finger and licked it. “S’good. Good bean water.” 

Gordon snorted. “Cool. Mac ‘n cheese is done.” He got two bowls out of the cabinet and handed them one.

Benrey helped themselves, getting far more than the physicist. They sat on the couch, carefully taking a bite. 

Their eyes widened. “Yo, this is fuckin’ epic!” They said with a mouthful of macaroni. 

“Ha! I told you!” Gordon snickered.

Benrey shoveled way too much in his mouth, giving a stupid toothy grin when he was done. 

_ Maybe living with them won’t be so bad.  _ Gordon thought, and smiled back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hello the end is rushed but whatever
> 
> Pink= Love  
> Yellow to white= Im feeling pain and fright  
> Teal to lilac= I’m feeling sick  
> Lime to pink= I think you’re neat
> 
> Tumblr: norge-yourstruely  
> Insta: forgeninfoe  
> Twitter: ForganForge


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